"Push Kagome-sama! I can see the head," the doctor urged, ready to accept the newborn from Kagome's body.

Sesshoumaru stood aside watching, quite nervous and holding her hand. He had regretted giving Kagome his hand not long ago when her contractions had increased in intensity.

Kagome took a few breaths before gritting her teeth and bearing down. No amount of anesthesia could take her pain away. None were in existence for youkai, so she had to deal with it all.

'Come on. Please come out!' she said desperately to herself.

She could feel the babe coming out slowly.

"Got the shoulders and head. It is easy from here on out," the doctor explained, bringing the pup out and then cleaning it.

Kagome was shaking from exhaustion and could feel the pup and fluids fall from her.

"Got it," the doc said with a smile. "You have a son! Congratulations!"

Kagome lay limp and sweaty on the bed, breathing hard, but she smiled brightly as Sesshoumaru accepted their son with a large grin.

Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome and kneeled by her, holding their son up.

"You honor me with an heir, my mate. I am eternally grateful," he said in awe.

A nurse came in and whispered something to the doctor, but Kagome and Sesshoumaru had remained oblivious, focusing solely on their new son.

The doctor cleared his throat and said, "My lord, your brother is fading fast. Though this is not good news for such an occasion, I have been informed by the nurse that he is calling for both of you."

Sesshoumaru nodded grimly and handed the pup to Kagome.

"Clean her up and bring her at once to my brother's room along with our pup. I will venture ahead to see him," the taiyoukai replied, and then kissed Kagome's forehead before departing the birthing suite.

Both Sesshoumaru and Kagome had noticed Inu Yasha's drastic decline since their mating and knew that any day that the hanyou would succumb to his ailment. He could no longer maintain his hanyou form after the last new moon. His hair was peppered with gray strands, and his human body gaunt. It was sad to see Inu Yasha so frail.

'The first of the Shiro Inu Clan to not die honorably in battle,' Sesshoumaru thought bitterly.

He felt helpless about his brother's illness. He had never thought that Inu Yasha would die suffering. All of his memories of his half brother were when he had been in glorious battle. He regretted treating Inu Yasha so poorly considering that the hanyou had fought tooth and nail to become just as great as the Dog General. Inu Yasha's legacy surpassed even Sesshoumaru's own.

Sesshoumaru entered Inu Yasha's hospital room and could hear his brother's labored breaths in between his coughs and wheezes. He looked entirely too pale and blood splattered the edges of his mouth and over some of his hospital nightgown. The tall demon lord reached for a washrag, and then carefully cleaned his brothers face.

Inu Yasha pried his eyes open.

"Sess- bro- broth- er," the dark daired Inu Yasha rasped, his voice sounding with a faint gurgle. "Ka- Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru slowly closed his eyes and then opened them, his masked dropped as he kneeled as his brother's bedside and grasped Inu Yasha's hand.

"Calm down, brother. She is on the way. I have a son," Sesshoumaru calmly said, his eyes full of sorrow, and his usually straight and stoic mouth a heartbreakingly sad smile.

Inu Yasha wheezed and held as tight as he could as his body raged with another coughing fit.

"Th- that's go-goo-d," he weakly replied. "Do- don't b- be- sa- sa –sad for m- me."

"Inu Yasha?" Kagome's voice filled the room.

Sesshoumaru could smell his newborn pup without having to look.

The nurse wheeled Kagome and the newborn to the other side of Inu Yasha's bed.

"Ka- ka- gooo- me," Inu Yasha smiled, his eyes barely open.

Without being asked, Kagome raised her son to see Inu Yasha.

"Look, here is your Uncle Inu Yasha," Kagome said, the tears flowing down her face.

The pup had a small patch of silver hair. It was too soon to see what color the eyes were as the pup would not be able to open them for another week. Twin magenta stripes adorned the young inu's cheeks, hands, hips, and feet like his father. The crescent moon was black with a small black star within. The eyelids had no color, but that was something that would show later on in the pup's life before he reached maturity.

Inu Yasha sighed and closed his eyes, a soft smile on his lips. After a moment, he murmured, "He- he's per- per- perfect."

Kagome and Sesshoumaru looked at one another and smiled, and then to their pup. It was then that the machines in the room quieted and the one for the heart signaled that he had passed.

Sesshoumaru reached out and shook his brother, "Inu Yasha? Inu Yasha? Come on, wake up, little brother!"

Kagome closed her eyes and sobbed, holding her pup closer. The pup could sense its parents' distress and whined. Soon, a sad howl came from Sesshoumaru's own throat.

The howl was sad, and if any youkai of canine descent were near, they would have heard the message.

'The great Inu Yasha, brother to Taiyoukai of Japan and son of the Great Dog General has passed. May his memory live on.'

Sesshoumaru slumped to the floor and wearily looked up to the ceiling before calmly stating, "Our sons name will be Inu Yasha."

Kagome opened beckoned the nurse to wheel her over to her mate's side. She had never seen Sesshoumaru look so forlorn. She knew how he felt. Her chest was tight with sorrow and her throat even straining with her emotions.

"Hai," Kagome replied, and then looked at her pup, lovingly caressing the soft striped cheek. "You hear that little one? Your name is Inu Yasha. It is a good name. Make your uncle proud."

Sesshoumaru scooted closer to his mate and pup.

"I must bury him in father's tomb. It is the only place I could think that was worthy enough for him. He never knew father, but he was more like him than I had been. I held jealousy for years, but I understand. Father knew all along that he would need the Tetsusaiga. I already was strong enough. I wish to bury the sword with him too," Sesshoumaru said softly.

"Then do it, koishii. I will be here with our son waiting for your return," Kagome replied, and reached out to touch Sesshoumaru's face. "Dress him in the fire rat clothes. He may have died looking human, but those were his clothes for most of his life. He lived and fought with them. I heard once that it was what your father gave Izayoi when he had died."

Sesshoumaru nodded and then rose. He looked at his brother and carefully tucked a hair behind Inu Yasha's rounded ear. After a moment, he took a shaky breath, and then disconnected the intravenous tubes, before lifting the hanyou up.

The nurse did not protest the removal of Inu Yasha's body as she was youkai. It would do no good to hinder the taiyoukai in his goal to give his brother an honorable burial.

As Sesshoumaru left, Kagome said a silent prayer for Inu Yasha's soul to find peace. After her prayer, she looked at her pup and saw him nuzzling her breasts, searching for something to suck on. She uncovered her chest and helped the newborn find the nipple.

"Yes, little Inu Yasha, you will carry on your uncle's legacy as well as your father's legacy," Kagome whispered.

THE END